A Camelia For a Pretty Girl
by CameliaKitiji
Summary: Temari finds herself stuck in Shikamaru's house for her 7 week stay in Konoha. Will this visit reveal hidden emotions for both of them? ShikaTema
1. The Arrival

**Chapter 1**

All Temari could think of was him. He haunted every thought that popped into her head. He crept into her mind more than he ever had. Shikamaru had even began to show up in her dreams. He would always been wearing his normal clothes, but something was different. Maybe it was his eyes. Maybe it was the way he held her. Maybe it was the newly added softness to his voice when he called her troublesome. Those dreams were beginning to bother her more and more lately.

She approached the Konoha gates earlier than expected. Usually, she arrived two hours later. "Oh well," she thought to herself, "I guess I will just go to the hotel on my own. He usually makes the reservations early anyway, so why not save the trouble of waiting at the gates doing absolutely nothing.

She followed the street that her and Shikamaru had always walked through and finally reached her hotel. She went to the counter and asked if he had a reservation for her.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but we are currently filled. We had to move some people around because of a bad leak in the roof from a storm two nights ago. Please forgive the inconvenience," the man replied.

"Well, where else am I suppose to stay?! I'm the Kazekage's sister. I had to travel tree days to get here and you don't have a room for me?!" She hollered.

"Please, Temari-san, forgive us, but we have no room."

Enraged by the current events, Temari stormed out of the hotel and walked blindly through the streets. Soon she remembered why she still needed Shikamaru to guide her around. She had horrible sense of direction and only succeeded in making herself impossibly lost. She growled at her stupidity. She should have remembered how to get out of where she was. The sun was setting and she needed to find Shikamaru. She sighed. She must have been wandering around for hours.

"Temari-san?" Someone called from behind her. She turned. It was Neji. "What are you doing here alone? It's not a good part of town, you know. Where is Shikamaru? Shouldn't he be with you?"

Temari explained what happened about her arriving early and about the hotel room. "Oh," Neji replied, "Well, let us find Shikamaru. He might let you stay at his place for the time being."

"Thank you, Neji. By the way, what were you doing around here?" Temari asked.

"I was sitting on the roof admiring the sunset when I saw you pass by on the street below. I decided to stop you before some poor, unfortunate soul became the victim of your wrath."

Temari smiled. Neji was actually an okay guy to talk to. At least he was considerate enough to help her find her guide. They soon found Shikamaru sitting by the Gates, looking lazily down the road.

"I think this belongs to you...," Neji smiled, snapping Shikamaru out of the trance he was in.

"Temari?" Shikamaru asked, looking at her in shock.

"Yea, I got here early, so I decided to go to the hotel and see if my room was ready. Unfortunately, those people had to move people into my room due to a leaky roof, so I don't have one. I got mad and decided to walk around and got lost. Then Neji found me," Temari said.

"Thank you, Neji. If there is anything I can do, let me know." Shikamaru stated.

"Well, if you let Temari-san stay with you at your place, we will call it even."

Temari blushed slightly at the thought. Luckily, Neither of them noticed. Shikamaru sighed, "I suppose I have to now. How troublesome. Thank you again, Neji. Come along, Temari. My hous is this way."

Temari followed after Shikamaru. She glanced back at Neji, who gave her a thumbs-up and mouthed 'Have fun.' Then Temari's face really turned red. 'Why would he do that?' Temari thought.


	2. Realizations

**Chapter 2**

**At Shikamaru's House ~~~**

"Good thing I have a guest room," Shikamaru sighed as he led Temari through his rather large home.

"I want to thank you for taking me in, Shikamaru-kun. I wish to repay you once my stay here is done," Temari said, bowing slightly. She placed her luggage on the bed and turned to Shikamaru.

"As long as you aren't bitchy and get in my way while you're here, you can stay as long as you want. Don't worry about repaying me though. Anyway," Shikamaru sighed, "I have to teach tomorrow, so you can have the house to yourself. If you need anything, there is a map of Konoha on the table next to the door."

"Thank you. It's getting late. May I use your shower?" Temari asked. _Surely, _she thought, _That isn't a problematic question_.

Shikamaru shrugged, "Do whatever you want. You don't have to ask. Just make sure to lock doors if you don't want anyone walking in. I'll be in the kitchen making dinner. If you're hungry, just come get some when you want." With that, he walked away. Temari turned to her things and began to unpack. She placed her tessan against the bedpost and retrieved her night clothes. They weren't her flashy pair, thank heaven. Just a black tanktop and pj pants with small white and purple fans on it. It was a birthday gift from Gaara and Kankuro. They said that they didn't know what to get her, so they bought these for her. She laughed at the memory and then wandered off to find the bathroom.

"It's the first door on your right," Shikamaru called from the kitchen, apparently hearing her confused footsteps. _I could have figured it out sooner or later..._ she thought. She entered into the bathroom and started the shower. She locked the door, remembering his advice. _Anyone walking in? What the hell did he mean? Who else is there, other than him? Baka... _she took out her hair ties and stepped into the shower.

It was warm and refreshing after that long travel. She sighed happily to herself and started to hum a tune that sounded alot like Desert Rose. After she washed herself of all the dirt and sand, she dried herself off and put on her clothes. She left her hair down and dried as much of it with the towel as she could. Then, she placed her towels and dirty clothes in the hamper and went back to her room.

Her stomach growled and so she went toward the kitchen and found Shikamaru standing outside on the porch, looking up at the stars. He had let his hair down and had changed into a tanktop and different pants. Temari stood there for a minute, shocked at how nice the moonlight touched his skin. The slight glow made him actually look handsome. _What am I thinking?! He's probably with that Ino girl or something. Just go into the kitchen and get some food, Temari. Leave him alone,_ she thought to herself. She started to walk to the kitchen when he turned to face her.

"It took you long enough Temari-kun. I was waiting to eat with you," he said, walking past her and into the kitchen. He made their plates and placed them on the table. He pulled out a chair for her to sit in. She obeyed, sitting silently. "You were waiting? Why? What's with the nice-guy act?" She asked after a few minutes.

"It's not an act. I thought I shouldn't be rude to my house guest, so I decided to eat with you. Is that so wrong?" he glanced up at her from his food. She shook her head and began to eat. It was good surprisingly. She didn't think he could cook, but, of course, he was full of surprises.

They both finished their dinner and Shikamaru cleaned up the dishes, dispite Temari's arguements. "I'm not making my house guest do my work. I'm not as lazy as I was years ago, Temari. I can handle this. Why don't you go sit on the couch or do something productive while I do this." He said before she angrily gave up and settled in front of the shogi board. _There is no way I'm going to let him push me around. He might have won this battle, but I'll win the war, _she thought. Shikamaru came in and sat on the other side of the board, "Did you want to play?"

"I was just looking. I don't feel like making my brain work right now. I just want to relax," she replied leaning back to lean her back against the side of the couch. She stared out at the moon. It was different than in Suna. Maybe it was her imagination. Ha, the clouds in the sky. There weren't many in Suna. Shikamaru wouldn't like that. He would probably tear up about the loss of his precious clouds.

_She's really beautiful when she wears her hair down, _Shikamaru thought, _Ack! What am I thinking? She's too troublesome for me. Besides, she probably has a boyfriend. _He stood suddenly and began to walk toward his room. "Good night, Shika." Temari softly spoke.

He stopped. Noone had called him that except for his close friends and his parents. He actually liked the way she said it. NO! _Stop it, Shikamaru. She probably has someone else. Leave her alone._ "Good night, Temari." he replied and walked into his room, closing the door.

Temari sighed. Sure she liked Shikamaru, but only as a friend...right? She got up and went to lay on the porch outside. The lights in the house were off, therefore, the moonlight took the privilage to bath everything in its ivory glow. Temari liked the nights in Konoha better than in Suna. There was practically a symphany of noises at night in Konoha. The crickets chirped, the frogs croaked, and the fireflies danced around the small lake in the yard. She sighed peacefully, glancing at the trees. Shikamaru's house was somewhat isolated from the rest of Konoha. Temari liked that. It was like a small paradise. She returned her gaze to the starry sky and saw a flash. A shooting star. She closed her eyes and made a wish, hoping that one day it may be answered. She then fell asleep, litsening intently to the orchestra of the Konoha night.

Shikamaru laid in his bed, thinking about the problem that was starting to arise. Temari and his affections toward her. He didn't know how long she would be staying, so he decided to not try to think about it. It was too troublesome to lay there and think about something that could just be his imagination. He listened to the crickets chirping and realized that he hadn't heard Temari go to her room. He got up and opened his door silently. He took a few steps toward the living room and saw Temari's sleeping figure laying on the porch. He approached her soundlessly and sat down beside her. _Look at you.., _Shikamaru thought to himself, _Aren't you the most precious creature? when you're sleeping, that is..._ His hand brushed away a few strands of her hair away from her face and smiled when she mumbled something unintelligible. "The moonlight makes you look like a goddess, you know that?" He whispered. She didn't respond. He looked up at the scene before him and saw one of the deer lapping at the water in the lake. It looked up at him and bowed its head to lap more water. He nodded at the creature as it turned and went back toward the forest.

A glint of pink caught the corner of his eye. He reached out with his hand and let the light pink camelia floated delicately into his hand. He rubbed one of the petals. It was soft. It must have just bloomed a few days earlier. He looked down at the sleeping Temari. He didn't want to at first, but he set down the flower next to him and gently picked up Temari in his arms, bridal-style, and placed her under the covers of her bed. He went to the window and opened it slightly, to make it seem like she was still outside. He smiled again and went to retrieve the camelia. He placed it on her bedside table and then left, closing the door soundlessly behind him.

He went back to the living room and closed the open door. Then he retreated back to his room and soon fell asleep, thinking of his newfound goddess.


	3. Accepting Realizations

**Chapter 3**

Temari woke the next morning to the chirping of birds and the slight rays of sunshine that peeked in through the window. She sat up in bed and looked around, confused. _Surely, _she thought, _I fell asleep on the porch...He must have came to get me...I wonder why I didn't wake up? _She glanced to the bedside table and saw a note under a pretty pink camelia.

**Temari,**

**I had to leave early to get to the academy for my class. I didn't want to wake you up so early since you seemed content enough to drool on the pillow. Anyway, I won't be back til late. I have issues to attend to. Have fun..but don't destroy my house, okay?**

**-Shikamaru**

"I DO NOT DROOL!" Temari yelled at the piece of paper. Angrily, she marched to the bathroom and rinsed off. She finished cleaning up and went to her clothes. She picked out one the her outfits that she rarely ever wore- a black mini shirt and a dark violet spagetti strap tee shirt over her fishnet. She grabbed her bag of money and tied it to the top of her skirt and tied her headband around her neck. She put on her sandals and took her tessan as she walked out. She had purposefully "forgot" the map. She just wanted to wander for a while and not think about her strange dream.

~Dream start~

She stood there, surrounded by darkness. "Hello?" she called into it. Suddenly a light flickered on and Shikamaru was standing in front of her. "Shika!" she called, running to him. She looked up at him and he gently looked at her. He was about to kiss her- then nothing.

~Dream end~

She sighed. _Right when he was about to kiss me, everything disappeared. What happened? _she wondered. Her thoughts were disrupted when she walked into the edge of the city. Temari wandered toward a resturant and relized that she hadn't yet ate anything. She walked in and asked for a simple, light breakfast. She ate in silence until a few children came in giggling about a boy. She smiled when they came to her. "Hi, there. How are you?" she asked them playfully.

"I'm good," one of the girls replied. "You must not be from around here, are you?" asked the second.

"You can tell, huh? Is it really that obvious?" Temari asked, laughing nervously.

The girls nodded. "It's cuz you're way prettier than anyone else in town. You look like an exotic flower almost. Don't ya think, Kisa?" asked the first girl.

"Oh yea, she does. What's your name? Where did you come from?" Kisa asked. They both sat on the chairs on the other side of the table.

"My name is Temari. I come from a place called Suna. It's about three days away." The girls looked at each other and then back at Temari, their eyes eager to know more. "Why did you come here Temari-san?" asked Kisa.

"I had to come for a while to do some work that the Kazekage assigned me to do." Temari replied, sipping the last of her tea. "He really never expained why I needed to be here so badly, but I have to stay here for a while." She smiled and stood up, grabbing her tessan.

"Will you come back here tomorrow? Please? We want to know more about Suna, right Kisa?" they looked at each other and then back at Temari. Temari nodded. "If you want me to, then I suppose I must." The little girls cheered and then went to the back room of the resturant. Apparently their family must own it.

Temari walked silently through the streets until she found herself at a park. Wandering, Temari found a bench under a blossoming tree and sat to rest a while. It was a good thing that she wore what she did. It was a hot day and the humidity just made it worse. More children ran through the park. the were luaghing and having fun. Until one of them stumbled with a handful of books. She looked at him. He was mumbling about too much homework. Suddenly a gust of wind came and blew a few of his papers away. Temari caught them and walked them back to him. He looked up at her and she smiled. She always had a sort of soft spot for kids.

"Thank you, miss," he studdered, "Shikamaru-sensei would have gotten on to me if I lost my homework again." He sighed.

"Do you need help with any of it? I would help you if you like." Temari asked. He face lit up and her studdered, "R-r-really?! You would help me?"

"If you wish. I have time to spare." She took some of the books. 'Gee, thanks. I need help with Stratigies and History. Those are my weak points. I'm too scared to ask Shikamaru-sensei for help. I don't want him to think I wasn't paying attention."

They sat on the bench under the tree and she began to teach him slowly. He gradually started to catch on. Nodding every now and then, he would scribble down a few notes and when he finally caught on, his face lit up again and he smiled happily. Temari loved that reaction from children. Happiness. "My name is Tojo. Thank you for your help. Shikamaru-sensei will be pleased." He hugged Temari and she hugged him back gently. He grabbed his books and staggered along. Temari laughed and took some of the heavy books from him. "If you want, I'll help take these home for you."

"Thank you so much..um..may I ask your name?" Tojo studdered. "Call me Temari-san," she replied. Tojo smiled and they walked out of the park, heading to his house. Unknown to them, Shikamaru watched the whole scene. He smiled to himself. _She's really good with kids. I never would have thought that she was a softy for little ones._ He laughed and went to the market to buy some food.

"I really do thank you so much, Temari-sensei." Tojo bowed. Temari laughed, "It was no problem, I assure you. Take care," she replied. She ruffed his hair and walked back to the park. She was trying to remember which way she had come. The sun was starting to set and she noticed on the edge of one of the trees, a deer was nibbling at the leaves.

She approached slowly, not trying to scare it. "Hello, there. I'm Temari. Do you know the way to Nara Shikamaru's house?" she asked it, stroking his head, behind his ear. It closed its eyes and nuzzled into her hand. _I think I'm losing my mind. I'm talking to a deer. _She stopped petting him and asked him again if he knew the way. he tilted his head and walked a few strides and stopped to make sure she was following. She obeyed. Soon, she popped out of the trees and in front of Shikamaru's house. "You really did understand me, didn't you, boy?" she asked, scratching behind his ear again. She laughed and kissed his forehead. Then she turned to walk back to the house. When she opened the door, a lovely smell caught her attention.

"Finally home? Did you have fun without me?" Shikamaru asked. "Yea, I suppose. What's it to you?" She retorted. She didn't want to be too soft on him. She was angry at him for making that poor Tojo do so much work.

Shikamaru sighed. "You know, I saw you today with Tojo. In the park?"

Temari blinked. She went and sat down at the table and Shikamaru sat at the other side. "I felt bad for him, so what? He said you gave him all that work."

"I gave then all the same work. That doesn't mean that you can help him cheat." His face was playful.

"He said he didn't understand it, so I helped him along. He was scared to ask you, so I tutored him on the parts he needed help with. Last I recall, that isn't cheating."

Shikamaru stopped. _He was scared to come to me? But yet he went to a complete stranger and asked for help? What was I doing wrong?_ "Did he tell you why?"

"He didn't want to disappoint you or make you think he wasn't paying attention. Just go a bit easier on them. He was on the verge of tears because he finally understood something. Okay?" Temari asked, sipping some of her tea that Shikamaru had placed in front of her a few moments ago. "Wow, Temari, I'm impressed. You really do have a soft side. And for children nonetheless."

"Maybe I do. They are children. They deserve to be happy and carefree. You should have seen his face when he said that you would be pleased with him. It was adorable," she said, standing and walking to her room. "You don't want any food?" Shikamaru asked. "Not tonight. I'm tired. Thank you though. Good night Shika." She said, closing the door and changing. She crawled into bed and looked at the moon that was barely rising.

"Good night, I guess," he mumbled to noone in particular. He wrapped up the food and placed it in the fridge until he wanted it. He turned off the lamps and walked outside onto the porch. He leaned against the door frame and looked out into the sky above him. _What am I going to do? _he thought, _I think I'm falling for her..._


	4. Confessions

**Chapter 4**

"SHIKAMARU!" Temari screamed, following him though the darkness. However, it seemed like the faster she ran, the farther away he became. She tripped on something and fell to her knees, crying. Shikamaru disappeared. As she covered her face with her hands and cried, she felt something soft touch her arm. She sniffled a bit and watched as a small camelia floated down to the it touched, a rays of light lit up the darkness. Temari stood and the light dimmed. The nothingness that she had been seeing for so long turned out to be a beautiful meadow. The moon began to glow and she realized that what she had tripped over was a meer root of a camelia tree. She glanced around her. "Shikamaru," she called. This was completely unlike her. Call for him? But her call was not answered. Her heart thudded and pounded as if it were breaking in two. "Shika, where are you?!" She frantically yelled. Still no response. She cried.

"Temari!" someone called, "Temari wake up." Shikamaru shaked her shoulder. Temari's wet eyes opened slowly. _It was just a dream, _she thought to herself, _but why can't I stop crying? _ "Temari, are you ok?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes were concerned. Temari looked up at him and her eyes filled up with more tears. She couldn't help herself. She couldn't take it anymore. She knew exactly why her dreams had him. She knew exactly what her pride and stubbornness had prevented her from realizing earlier. She loved Shikamaru. She loved him and his laziness. She loved his smell. She loved his eyes and the way her called her 'troublesome'. She loved it all.

"Temari, talk to me. Are you ok? You were screaming my name," Shikamaru told her. He was unsure of how to deal with her sobs. She cried and pressed herself against his chest. Shocked by her actions, he wrapped his arms around her and patted her hair with his right hand. "It's ok, Temari. It's going to be ok." _What's going on? _he thought, _Does she do this often? _

"Shikamaru," she gasped, clutching fistfuls of his shirt, "Please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

"But I have cla-" he stopped when Temari looked up at him, her eyes pleading. He sighed, "How troublesome. Fine, let me go tell Tsunade to get a replacement today. Don't worry, I'll be right back ok?" He gently unwrapped her fingers and stood. She nodded, sniffling. Shikamaru turned and left. Temari glanced over to the clock, 4 a.m.. She looked down at the flower. _A pink camelia? _She picked it up and stood, her legs shaking. _Shikamaru..._ She went to the living room and opened the door to the porch. It was raining...pouring actually. Good thing the porch was covered. She sat on the porch and drew her legs close to her body. She stared at the camelia.

Suddenly she heard a twig snap. She looked up and saw that same deer that had led her back here yesturday. She could tell by a spot on the middle of his head that was slightly darker than the rest of his fur. She brushed a few tears away and reached out with a shaky hand to scrath behind his ear. "Hey, boy," Temari whispered. It walked onto the porch and sat down beside her. She let her legs straighten out and then the deer rested his head in her lap. "At least you like me. What's your name? Do you have one?" The deer made a noise. Of course, Temari couldn't understand him. "Really now? That's a good name," she laughed. She laid her head against the deer's shoulder and brushed the petals of the little camelia. _Shikamaru..._ "I love you, Shika," she whispered to noone. The deer pushed his cold nose to her side and made another noise. She petted him and it licked her hand. "Eww..." she rubbed her hand against her shirt. Then she pet him again.

"Im back," Shikamaru said tapping her shoulder. She turned her head slightly. "I see Kouhei likes you. He usually shys away from people." He said down beside her. "Mind telling me what happened a little while ago?"

Temari turned her head to face Kouhei. "A reality check in a form of a dream." "Why were you calling me though?" He asked, a little annoyed. "You're the genius, aren't you? Can't you figure it out?" Temari retorted, trying to bury her face in Kouhei's fur. Shikamaru sighed, "When it comes to women, I don't think even a genius could figure anything out."

Temari mumbled in Kouhei's fur. "What?" Shikamaru asked. Again, she mumbled. "Look, Temari, I can't understand you. Just tell me what's wrong," he replied, beginning to get aggrivated. "I SAID THAT I LOVE YOU, NARA SHIKAMARU!" Temari ran to her room, making quite a bit of noise. Shikamaru jaw dropped and stared at Kouhei, who was surprisingly calm during this ordeal. He poked Shikamaru's leg with his nose and nodded his head toward Temari's door.

_Did she tell me that she loved me...? _Shikamaru's heart jumped. He heard drawers opening and closing. He hurridly walked to Temari's door and opened it. "Temari?!" She jumped out of her window and into the rain. "Come back inside, Temari. We have to talk," Shikamaru said, looking out of the window she had just jumped out of. All he could see was her figure fading away into the forest. _Damn troublesome woman. Why won't she ever listen to me? _Shikamaru sighed and then raced after her.

_Why did I have to open my mouth? Why can't I just have dreams were I don't end up calling out for help? Damn it! Now he won't want to ever speak to me again. How could I be so damn stupid!? _she thought to herself. The rain had slightly lightened to the point where she could somewhat see through it, but she soon had to stop and take refuge under a big tree. She sat down and tried to surpress her chakra. Gasping for air, she leaned her back against the tree trunk. She saw a shadow fly past her. _I'm sorry..._

"Temari!" Shikamaru yelled. He grabbed her from behind. Temari gasped and began to squirm. "Temari, stop it." He had no choice. He had to wrestle her to the ground and pin her down with his hands. She turned her head away, closing her eyes shut. "Look at me," he told her, "Temari, look at me! Your so troublesome. You made me have to come get you in the pouring rain. Why didn't you just listen to me and come back inside?"

"Because...you would have just told me that love was _troublesome_ and that you didn't feel the same for me. Look, Shikamaru," she turned her head and looked at him, "I don't want to hear that. I don't honestly think that I would have been able to hear it. You've been in my dreams for a while now and I was going to save you the time and effort of giving me a lecture about us not working out. So I ran. You didn't have to come after me. I didn't make you come after me."

Shikamaru laughed. "DON'T LAUGH AT ME!" Temari yelld, trying to squirm out of his hold. "Temari, believe me, if I hated you or didn't feel something toward you, I wouldn't have come all this way to get you and take you home. Your too troublesome. You don't listen." He laughed. Thunder crashed in the distance. _I hate thunder_ Temari thought. "I wana go home. Now." Temari said. Her eyes widened as the thunder made a louder sound. "Your coming to my house. Your not going home yet. No, not til we settle this out. Understand?" he asked her. She meerly nodded. They stood and ran back toward Shikamaru's house, the rain still beating them down.

When they reached the house, Shikamaru sat Temari inside and went to find towels. She stood slightly. "Sit yourself down. Your not going anywhere!" Shikamaru demaded, placing a towel over her shoulders. She sat on the floor and looked at him sit in front of her. "Temari..." he said reaching out with his hand to touch her face. She froze. She was so cold compared to his warm hand. He leaned forward and kissed her lips gently. She had been longing for this...for so long. She closed her eyes and kissed back. She unconsciously let out a pleasant sigh. He broke the kiss and looked in her eyes. "I love you as well, Temari. I don't want you to leave." He reached over and picked up the camelia that she had dropped. He tucked it into her hair behind her ear. "There," he sighed, "A camelia for my pretty girl." He smiled. She kissed him again. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. There was no way he was going to let her get away. Not now....never. Kouhei looked in through the porch door. His eyes sparkled as he turned to look up at the camelia tree. He nodded his head. A few petals, soaked from the rain, soared in the sudden wind current and traveled far into the early morning air. Kouhei looked back at the kissing pair and laid his head on his forelegs. His eyes fluttered closed.


	5. Carnival

**Chapter 5**

Temari woke to the sun peeking through the rain clouds. _So it finally stopped raining. Good._ As she went to stretch her arms, she became aware of strong arms holding her close. Tilting her head slightly, she saw Shikamaru sleeping intently. _He's so cute when he sleeps..._ she thought. She kissed his forhead and nudged her face into the crook of his neck and decded that this would be her lazy day. She closed her eyes and her breath slowed as she fell back asleep in his arms.

Shikamaru shifted and unknowingly rolled on top of Temari. She opened her eyes and desperately tried to squirm out from under him without waking him up. However, she found it harder to breath, so she had to think of something. She sighed and lightly punched his side with what little leverage she could get. "Ow," Shikamaru mumbled, opening one of his eyes. Shikamaru's eyes widened and quickly got off. He sat beside her. "Sorry," he apologized, rubbing the back of his head. Temari didn't move. "Temari?" He poked her arm. He felt her pulse. "I know you're ok. So quit acting already." She glared at him and sat up. "You could have just played along, you know," she complained.

"Played along how?" he asked, stretching his arms above his head and yawning. "Like mumbling some lovey crap and kissing you to make you wake up? That would have been too much trouble."

Temari sighed and stood up. "I'm going to take a shower. Stay."

"I've got nothing else to do. I asked for today off, remember?" He said, sitting on his couch.

Temari gathered up some clothes and went to take a shower. As she began to wash her hair, a knock came at the door. "Temari," Shikamaru called through the door. She stuck her head out. "What?" "Look, there's this carnival tonight. There's going to be games and stuff and I heard that they're going to have fireworks later tonight. The Rookie Nine are going to be there and I was wondering if you wanted to come along as well." "Yea, why not? I promised to visit a few kids today, so I might as well go with you. I'll be out in a minute," she answered. Temari finished washing and dressed, leaving her hair down. She honestly didn't feel like working with it today. When she walked into the kitchen, Shikamaru had made breakfast and was eating.

She sat down and looked at the food. "So, they're having a festival after that downpour last night?" She picked up her chopsticks and ate. "Supposedly. I'm not clear on all the details but it sounds ok." He replied. They finished eating and Shikamaru added that they would be leaving for the festival in about two hours and that that should have been enough time for her to get ready. She did. She decided to wear a light violet kimono. It had pink flower petals cascading down it and at the ends of her sleves and at the bottom of the kimono, the light violet blended with a slightly darker violet. She tied on her soft pink obi and looked at the mirror. She wasn't a big fan of the color pink, but it looked beautiful on the kimono. She couldn't argue with that. "Is it suppose to be dressy?" she called to Shikamaru.

"Well, I overheard Sakura and Ino talking about kimonos and stuff like that, so I figure it is," he answered. She let her hair down and decided to part it to the side. It looked slightly better that way. Even though her hair fell into her face and covered her eye, she would keep it like that and just put Shikamaru's camelia behind her ear to make it stay. She did a twirl and decided that that was how she wanted to look. she took out a scroll from her bag and placed it on the floor. There was no way she would leave her fan, so she drew a design on the scroll and placed her fan in its center. It disappeared in the smoke and she rolled it up and put it up one of her kimono sleves just in case.

"Temari, let's go. If you want to see everyone before it starts, then we have to go now," Shikamaru called from outside her door. She opened it and met face-to-face with a handsome ninja in his formal wear. A small blush came from is cheeks. Temari laughed and kissed him lightly on the cheek, "You look pretty good yourself." Shikamaru shook his head and they proceeded to walk down the streets. Kouhei watched them from the trees as the walked toward town.

"Temari! Shikamaru!" Ino called. She was standing in front of the carnival entrance with Choji, Naruto, Sakura, Tenten, Lee, and Neji. Neji smirked when he saw them. Apparently, Neji was threatened by Tenten and was 'forced' to tell them the predicament that they were in. Ino and Sakura bombarded them with questions. Most of those were, in Temari's opinion, too personal. Shikamaru only grunted and yawned the entire time.

Overall, the carnival was fun. The sun was beginning to set. Shikamaru bought her cotton candy and Lee won so many stuffed animals that Temari ended up having a huge panda to hold. Temari looked at Shikamaru and smiled, hugging the panda. He sighed and wandered off somewhere, mumbling. "What's his problem?" Temari asked Tenten. She giggled and replied, "He might not like the fact that Lee ended up giving you that stuffed animal." "He was just being nice. Besides, he won a few for all the girls." "I know, but...oh! Temari look!" Tenten said, pointing behind them. She looked and saw Shikamaru coming their way with a gigantic deer stuffed animal. It was almost life-size. "Here," he mumbled, handing the deer to Temari. He looked away, trying to hide his face. It was bigger than the panda Lee had given her. She hugged it and kissed Shikamaru on the cheek. "Thank you, Shika. I love it," she said. Tenten giggled and said something to Neji. "Hey, guys! They're about to start the fireworks. Let's get to the hilltop so we can get a better view!" called Naruto, dashing off.

"Naruto, you idiot! Get back here. You can't just run off!" Sakura yelled. Everyone laughed and made it to the hilltop. The stars glimmered. _This is so beautiful_, Temari thought, leaning against Shikamaru's shoulder. Suddenly, The sounds of popping and the smell of smoke filled the air. The firecrackers soared high into the sky and blew apart, making different shapes. The colors were amazing. So bright. So magnificant. Temari sighed happily and stroked her deer stuffed animal. She glanced down at it. It looked alot like Kouhei.

"So what are you going to name it?" asked Tenten.

"Name it?" Temari asked.

"Yea. What are you going to name that deer?"

"I didn't know you're suppose to name things like this."

Tenten laughed, "I'm about the only person who does, but I guess it makes it seem more important if you name it. Don't you think?"

Temari thought about it. "I guess you're right. Hmm...I think I'll name it Shikati."

"Shikati? I like it!" Tenten giggled. Shikamaru hugged Temari and kissed the top of her head. "Hey," she whispered, "I thought you didn't want anyone to know about us."

"When did I ever say that?" Shikamaru whispered in her hair, "I want people to see us. I'm proud that you're mine."

Temari glanced up at him, "You're such a suck-up." "Oh jeez. I try to be nice and you have to ruin it, don't you?" Shikamaru laughed.

Temari hugged Shikati and stared up at the fireworks, "I never said I didn't like it." Shikamaru laughed lightly and looked up at the fireworks along with everyone else. This was a special moment. One that he was happy to have shared with his one love.


	6. Now What?

**Chapter 6**

"You know what I forgot, Shika?" Temari asked. They were walking home from the carnival. Temari was a little less than conscious. Shikamaru stifled a laugh when she would wobble to and fro from sleepiness. "What did you forget, dear?" he replied.

"I forgot to visit those kids. I promised them I would." "Well," he answered, "We'll see them tomorrow since it is Saturday."

"I suppose. Chuu!" Temari sneezed. Shikamaru laughed lightly. "Hey! Don't laugh at me. Its all this pollen crap. It bothers my nose," she punched him weakly in the arm, which only led to her loosing her balance and tripping on the the stuffed animal's leg. Before she hit the ground, Shikamaru caught her by the arm and lifted her up. "Don't tell me I have to carry you," he sighed. Temari just yawned and walked a few more steps before she purposely swayed. Shikamaru sighed again and pulled her up on his back. Temari held on to her panda and deer as Shikamaru raced to get home.

"Here we are," he said. He opened the door to the house and put Temari down. "Do you think you can make it to your room on your own?"

"I think so." She took off her sandals and went to her room. She changed her clothes and sat down on the bed with her stuffed animal. Temari looked up and saw Shikamaru leaning against the doorway, looking at her. She smiled and patted the spot next to her. He came and sat by her. "I hope you had fun." "I did," she answered, turning to face him, "Thank you, Shika, for everything."

He reached and touched her cheek. If it was anyone else, Temari would have swatted it away, but she let him cup her cheek. She nuzzled into his hand, looking into his eyes. Before she knew it, she closed her eyes to feel his soft lips press against hers. He gently wrapped his arms around her waist. Wanting more, Temari pressed herself against him and the sudden pressure caused them to fall back on the bed with Temari on top. Shikamaru chuckled, breaking their kiss. "And to think, you hated me at first," he whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"At first, yes, I did, but you know...," she was stopped by another kiss.

"I know what?" he teased. Temari kissed him again, pushing him more onto the bed. He tightened the grip around her waist and pulled her tight against him. A slight moan rumbled from her throat. Shikamaru broke away. "Temari, I think you need to go to sleep now if you want to wake up to go to the town tomorrow."

"Shika...," she complained. He sat up and gently laid her down on the bed.

"Good night, Temari," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Good night, Shika..." she pouted. Shikamaru walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Temari felt around for the deer that fell on the floor. "Where are you, Shikati?" She whispered. Her hand fell on the large stuffed animal and towed him up on the bed. She glanced at the the moon outside her window, thinking of her feelings toward Shikamaru. _I love him...but I wonder...does he feel the same?_ She held onto the deer. _ He had even been jealous of Lee to give me a bear. Where will you lead us, Kami? _She looked up to the window. As if an answer to her question, the stars twinkled brightly. A shooting star blazed against the black-velvet sky. Temari sighed. "Good night, Shikati."

Shikamaru closed the door and layed down on his bed. Looking through the window, a shooting star blazed through the sky. _Somehow, that star reminds me of her. It's one of the thousands of stars in the sky, but yet, it is the only one that stands out. _He stared out at the night sky a little longer. In his mind, he connected them, revealing a picture of Temari. Her eyes were the brightest stars. Somehow, the image seemed to move, looking at him. Her expression changed. She smiled at him. One of her unique smiles that always seemed to lighten up his heart. He reached to touch the glass. "I love you, Sabaku no Temari...," he whispered.

He glanced over to nightstand. Opening one of the drawers, he saw the proposal fan that had been passed down in his family for many generations. It bore a beautifully intricate image of a buck standing under a blooming camelia tree. A few petals fell around the buck. Brown, green, and gold swirls decorated the sides of the image as well as continuing to the back of the fan which held the image of his family's sign. He sighed, closing the fan and returning it to the top drawer of his nightstand. _It's too early for that. Besides, what if she has intentions for others? That would leave me here alone and in pain. But I do love her. I suppose it's justa matter of time. This is troublesome. I'm giving myself a headache worrying about her. Kami, where are you going to take us? _He took one last glance at the night sky and fell asleep listening to the night's symphany.


	7. Training

**Chapter 7**

Temari woke up early the next morning before the sun decided to rise and walked through the kichen, intent on finding something worth consuming. However, there was nothing in them other than a few dust bunnies. 'He must not eat at home a lot seeing as how these cabinets have nothing. I guess he only buys what he needs,' she thought. Turning to go back to her room, she decided to get dressed and go back into town for the day. Making sure she was quiet, she wrote a note and stuck it to Shikamaru's door.

In town, not many places were open at this time. Fortunately, the small little shop that she had visited earlier in the week was. Temari slid open the door and was greeted by a small, familiar face. "Good morning, Kisa-chan," Temari greeted. "You're back!" Kisa replied happily. Kisa grasped her hand and tugged Temari to a table. She laughed. It had been a while since someone was excited to see her. "So, what would you like this morning?" Kisa asked.

Temari thought, "Do you have anything traditional?"

"We have the breakfast special with grilled fish, tamagoyaki, miso soup, rice, nori, and our special seasoned natto."

"That sounds wonderful. Can I have that with green tea, please?" Temari asked. Kisa nodded and wandered off. Soon Kisa brought the food and Temari ate quietly. Kisa sat down across from her and asked her a few questions about Suna. Temari laughed at some of her questions. Kisa was such an innocent little soul. She wasn't ninja material, so of course she wouldn't understand a majority of what Temari could tell her, but she told her little things such as what climate they lived in, when they celebrated certain events, and what the traditional fashion was, which they only wore on celebrated occations.

After Temari finished her meal and paid, she waved to Kisa and walked through the mildly congested streets toward the Hokage Tower. Inside, she was escorted to Tsunade's office and knocked.

"Come," called a voice from inside. Temari opened the door and looked upon the exhausted face of the Godaime. "Good morning, Godaime. Is there any word from Suna?" she asked bluntly.

"Not yet. It appears you will have another free day," Tsunade replied, shuffling through the mountain of paperwork.

Temari sighed. Tsunade looked up. "Is he that boring to you? Shikamaru, I mean."

Shikamaru wasn't that boring, but Temari couldn't admit that to Tsunade. She would know something between them was going on. "Yes," she answered, "He doesn't care what goes on. There's no food in his house. I feel trapped there."

Tsunade laughed despite how tired she was. "I'll speak to him about that if you wish."

"Whatever you wish to do is your motive. I could care less. I'll just walk around and find something to do," Temari shrugged.

"Where was he when you left this morning? I'm sure I told him to be your escort while you were present here."

"Sleeping in his bed. Lazyass. I knew my way here so I just left."

"I see. Well, you can leave if you now." Tsunade waved her hand and Temari left.

She walked through the lively streets back toward Shikamaru's house. 'What to do?' she thought to herself. In all reality, interested in in anything in particular. She wasn't trained to do anything else but fight. Even relaxing was naturally nerve racking to her. It was difficult and almost painful not to do anything. It was really hard to just...stop. 'I suppose that's what draws me to Shikamaru. His ability to just stop...it's admirable...Shika...'

She glanced up from her thoughts to find Lee walking her direction.

"Konnichiwa, Temari-san! How are you on this bright, youthful day?" he excitedly asked. 'Yep, he hasn't changed. Still Guy's younger knock-off.'

"Konnichiwa, Lee-san. I am well. And you?" she replied

"Wonderful. Do you have any plans for tonight? Tenten-chan, Neji-san, and I were going to train and then dine on delicious food afterwards. Would you like to join us?" he asked hopefully. Temari shrugged, "Why not? I have nothing else to do. "

"Fantastic! Invite Shikamaru-chan as well. I went to his house, but he did not answer the door. We will meet you at the training grounds just before sunset. Is that suitable for you?"

Temari nodded. Lee ran off, waving. "Sayonnara, Temari-san."

"Sayonnara..." Temari peered up and spotted a familiar spikey-haired shinobi in the tree branches. He didn't seem to pleased. She waved slightly and used her jutsu to teleport to the branch he was sitting on. "What happened to get you upset? Did you tie up your ponytail too tight this time, crybaby?"

"What were you two talking about?" he asked without looking toward her. "He seemed cheerful when he left."

"Awww. The lazyass nin turns out to be a jealous one, doesn't he? What if he was asking me to train with him and go eat afterward? Would you mind?"

Shikamaru's eyes widened and he turned to Temari. "What?" Temari laughed, "It was only a joke, sweetheart. He wanted to know if we both wanted to go train and eat with Neji-san, Tenten-chan, and him. I signed you up so we're both going."

"You didn't even ask me first."

"Look," she said, sternly thumping him on the head, "He ran all the way out here to ask you if you wanted to or not. Since you didn't answer the door, you surrendered your choice to refuse. You're going and that's final."

Shikamaru rubbed the side of his head and mumbled. Temari jumped out of the tree and went inside to change. Once she came out with her fan adjusted on her back, Shikamaru had fallen asleep on the limb. Temari sighed and took her fan out of its holster. She gripped it firmly and slammed it up against the side of the tree. He fell and landed with a thump on a pile of leaves. "Temari..." he groaned. "Get up, crybaby. It's time to go."

A/N: Hey, guys, it's me! Kitiji-chan. I'm sorry it took so long, but my computer imp was being stupid and didn't want to make the computer work right. *sighs and glares at omputer imp*. So anyway, I was wondering if you guys wanted a longer series or shorter and skipping to the point. *laughs* I have story lines for both so let me know in some of your comments and I'll make it happen. THANK YOU! *waves*


	8. The Proposal

**Chapter 8**

The two ninjas walked together toward the training grounds. It was only around mid-day, so Lee would not be expecting them until later on.

"So, Shikamaru, what other places do you want to show me to?" Temari asked curiously.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I know a few places on the outskirts of town, if you really want to see them, I can take you there." Temari thought about his request and decided she liked it. "Sure," she replied, "Let's go."

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head a bit. All he really wanted to do was return home with her and maybe hold her in his arms. But there was a slim chance of that happening. He thought of where to bring her and thought that the north lake would be secluded enough for him to be with her. He smirked to himself. That was where he was taking her.

They walked into the wooded outskirts and Shikamaru led the way to the lake. It was a little out of the way, but he didn't care. "Where are we going?" Temari demanded, "We have been walking out here for about half an hour. When are we going to get there?"

"Soon, dear. We will get there soon." He smiled to himself. Temari groaned. She was positive that there was nothing out here.

In a few more minutes, Shikamaru pulled a few branches out of the way and stood aside for Temari to pass. She smiled and stared at the crystal-like lake. At the far end, there was a small waterfall, but the water was deep enough to swim in comfortably. "Wow, I didn't think something like this would be out here," she said, "It's beautiful."

Shikamaru nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "It's pretty, but I've seen something much more beautiful." He kissed her neck and nuzzled his face into her shoulder. "Now that I've found you, there's not a thing in this world that could ever compare to your beauty." He tightened his grip around her waist, not minding the giant fan that dug into his arm.

Temari smiled to herself and turned to face him. She kissed him lovingly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Shikamaru."

"And I love you, Temari…so very much." Shikamaru put his hand behind her head and pulled her face to his. He kissed her deeply and unhooked the fan on her back. His hands moved down her body and settled around her hips. Temari chuckled and clung to him. Shikamaru felt his heart surge in happiness. She was the one he wanted. She was the only one he ever wanted. He broke the kiss and looked at Temari for a moment. Temari tilted her head.

"Temari, I want to ask you something…" Shikamaru reached into the side pouch of his pants and withdrew a painted fan. 'This is so troublesome…' he thought. 'Why would she say yes to me?' He leaned over and kissed her again. Then he knelt down and placed a hand over his heart and with his other, extended the fan to Temari.

"Temari…you are the only girl I have ever loved this much. I have never felt my heart pound so hard or race so fast. I know that it isn't the bad kind of rush. I can only try to explain this emotion as love. Nothing but pure love. Temari, I love you more than the Sun could ever love the Moon and you know he loves her or else he wouldn't spend his entire existence chasing across the sky. I would follow you anywhere and everywhere and never complain. I will love you forever and even after.

"Your eyes have captured my heart and my soul. I can't imagine a day or even comprehend how I have ever lived this long without having you near me. I will never hurt you. I will only ever help you. I will never abandon you. I only live to hold and love you. I will never cease in loving you, this much I swear. You are my heart. You are my soul, my very essence. I can make you my world and the Queen of my heart. This is the only request I have to offer…Sabuko no Temari…will you please accept my marriage proposal and become my wife," he inquired. His heart sped and his body quivered.

Temari felt the tears well up in her eyes. Was this happening? She blinked, releasing the water down her cheeks. She took the fan gingerly in her hands and opened it to reveal the beautiful image. There wasn't a force in the world that would make her refuse. "Yes..Yes!" she exclaimed. She gripped the small fan a little tighter and fell into Shikamaru's arms. She cried tears of happiness and kissed Shikamaru lovingly.

Shikamaru held her close and kissed her back. Through some of the brush on the other side of the lake Kouhei lapped the water at his feet. He looked up and watched the couple embrace. The deer made a smiled and raised up on his hind legs. He issued a deer call and a mixture of leaves and camellia petals swirled around him. He was indeed pleased at the current event.


End file.
